The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to embodiments of the claimed subject matter.
In semiconductor manufacturing it is necessary to test the semiconductor dies or the functional semiconductor dies so as to verify they meet specifications and perform according to specifications.
Such testing is typically performed via Automatic Test Equipment (ATE), or “testers” against the manufactured semiconductor device or the “device under test” or (DUT).
The costs involved with testing the manufactured semiconductor devices can be substantial both in terms of capital equipment and procurement costs as well as in terms of the time it takes to test each individual unit under test.
The costs of testing contribute directly to the cost of the product and therefore affect whether any given product is financially viable in terms of economic performance it the marketplace.
The actual functional silicon may be tested at varying phases of production including prior to packaging meaning that small silicon wafers require testing via a test bed which introduces significant technical complexity to place and align such devices to the testing interfaces. Moreover, it can be time consuming to align each such silicon wafer to the testing apparatus and therefore production output may be limited by the testing capacity of the manufacturing line.
The present state of the art may therefore benefit from the means for implementing fast throughput die handling for synchronous multi-die testing as described herein.